Button



(No Model.)

- G. R. HOWE.

Button. No. 242,202. Patented May' 31, 188i.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. GEORGE E. HOWE, OF NEW'ARK, NEW JERSEY.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATIONforming' part of Letters Patent No. 242,202, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed April 28, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, GEORGE R. Hown, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and concise description of the nature and character of my invention, so that any person familiar with the art may make, construct, and use the same.

My improvement relates to that class of but- 2 tons and studs in which the shoe is pivoted to with the shoe in plan, turned up against the shank, in position to be inserted in the buttonhole. Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of a modification; and Fig. 5 is a plan of the shoe and lug.

The same letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all'of the figures.

A represents the head or face of the button, which may be of any desired form, and may be of metal, or with stone or other setting, to suit the taste or fancy of the wearer.

B represents the shoe or back disk.

0 is the post or shank.

a is a short postor lug secured to the center of the shoe, and b is the pintle, by means of which the shoe and its lug are pivoted to the post or shank of the button. The post or shank is bifurcated, and consists of two legs or arms of semi-tubular metal, with their concave or hollow portions inside or toward a line drawn vertically through the center of the button. This two-part shank is made of spring metal, for a purpose which will presently appear, and the lower ends of the legs are perforated to re ceive the pintle which pivots them to the shoe. The bifurcated post is secured to the buttonhead by soldering, riveting, or in any other suitable manner.

The shoe proper is of the ordinary form, and consists of a convexo=concave disk of metal;

(No model.)

but to the center of its concave or inner side is secured a short lug with cam-shaped edges. This lug is perforated near the top or upper end for the passage of the pintle b, which pivots it to the bifurcated post. The lug is substantial] y a parallelogram in cross-section; but its vertical edges are shaped to fit the internal concave portions of the bifurcated post, and when the shoe is in position, or at a right angle to the post,is exactlythe width of the space between the legs of the posts. The shoe and lug are pivoted to the post by inserting the pintle I) through the perforations in both of the parts.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification ofmy improvement, in which the bifurcated post is made of round instead of semi-tubular wire or metal, and the lug on the shoe is made with concave vertical sides or edgesto fit the round wire, instead of the convex sides to fit the concave legs of the post, as shown in the other figures. In both instances the sides of the lug on the shoe are made of a form corresponding with the form of the legs of the shank, and a separate spring is entirely dispensed with. I also sometimes form the post or shank by takin g a button having the ordinary tubular shank and making a vertical slot or saw-cut therein; but I prefer the form first described, as it requires less metal, whichis avaluable consideration where precious metals are used, and I find it sufficient-ly strong for all practical purposes.

The operation of my button will be apparent.

The shoe, with its cam-shaped lug, can be turned nearly in line with the shank, and by my construction may be turned to either one side or the other. Like all buttons of this class, it may then be readily inserted in the buttonhole.

It will be seen that when the shoe is turned up against the side of the shank the two legs of the'latterare sprung slightlyapart, as shown in full and dotted lines in the drawings, by the action of the cam-shaped lug on the shoe, and when the shoe is again turned a quarter revolution the legs of the post assume their normal position'and, embracing the cam-shaped sides of the lug, hold the shoe firmly in position.

By my invention I am enabled to produce a very cheap and durable button, and one that has no intricate mechanism for pivoting the shoe, and therefore very easily constructed.

Having thus fully described my improvement, what I claim asnew,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Abutton or stud provided with abifurcuted spring-shank, and ashoe having a lug \vith cam-shaped sides, corrcspondi n g with the form of the legs of the shank, pivoted thereto, and adapted to be operated substantieily in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. A button or stud havinga suitable head, a se1nitubular bifurcated spring-shank, and a shoe having a cam-shaped lug, the shoe and lug pivoted to the shank, as set forth. r5

3. A button or stud provided with a bifurouted spring-shank, and a. shoe having a lug or projection with cam-shaped sides corresponding in form to the legs of the shank and pivoted thereto, and adapted to be locked in 20 its normal position by the inherent spring of the shank, substantially as specified.

GEORGE R. HOWE. Witnesses:

FRANK B. ALLEN, EDWARD D. OARROLTON. 

